All photos taken courtesy of Herongate Leisure centre Hungerford
Exercise programs written by Victoria Kerr Davies
Photography Cayford Media
All exercises to be performed smoothly and slowly without pain.
Walking: Repeat each exercise x2
Forwards and backwards with tummy tightened and hands on or out of the water stretch up tall.
Walk from side to side with tummy tightened and hands on or out of the water stretch up tall.
Repeat all exercises below x10
Lying on back supported on a woggle. in corner of pool or off steps
Try to work lower body keeping upper body stable.
Alternately push straight legs gently down and back up against the water
Bicycling
Do a bicycling action
Scissors
Keeping legs straight push legs apart and then back together
Then circle both straight legs separately, keeping your toes pointing to ceiling. Clockwise and anticlockwise
Push straight legs together slowly down and up.
Pull tummy in, breathe normally and swing straight legs, together, from side to side.
Keep shoulders flat, tummy held in then bend both knees in towards chest and stretch out again.
Keeping bent knees together roll them from side to side
Lying on tummy supported on a woggle, in corner of pool or off steps.
Curl knees in together towards chest and then stretch them both out.
Keeping legs together and straight push them both down and up.
Then keeping your legs straight do a kicking action.
Do not roll.
Standing sideways to the side of the pool with one hand resting on pool side.
Swing alternate straight leg back and forth, keep upper body still.
With your hip and knee held at 90 degrees of bend take the leg out and back in x 10 then the other leg.
Alternate leg cycling in standing
Then Alternately bend knee up in towards your chest.
Standing facing the side, with hands on pool side, (with good posture)
Alternately take straight leg out to side and back in (keep hips straight and feet pointing to wall).
Keeping legs straight stretch each one alternately out behind.you Keep standing tall and do not lean forwards.
Alternate knee bend to bring heel towards bottom keeping thighs level
Hip Hitching-Standing with legs straight hitch each leg up from the hip ie shorten leg by lifting in up a little way from the bottom of the pool.
Abdominal curls- Hold onto the edge with one hand and the other hand resting on the edge under the water. With both feet on the edge of the pool push both out straight behind you. Then curl both knees back in again using your tummy muscles.
Standing maintaining good posture holding float or dumbells/Bottles.
Press down float keeping your shoulders down, still and level.
Then allow it to come up slowly keeping the float below surface of water throughout.
With one hand (right) on the float pass it out to the side bring back to the middle then change to (left hand) take it out to other side.
Repeat.
Holding a float between your hands arms out straight in front of you, keeping the hips facing forwards rotate to left and right.
Holding dumbells/or bottles (small progress to large) carry straight arms together forwards and backwards past your body keeping balanced.
As above but marching arms. Keep balanced.
Progress above exercises by standing one foot forward one back (stride standing) change forward leg, repeat, finally progress to standing on one leg.
Holding a woggle(in the middle) or dumbell/bottle in right hand, straight arms by your side and side bend to right. Repeat to left side side, holding woggle/dumbell/bottle in left hand.
Place woggle around lower back, pull it in towards lower back and gently stretch back over it. Maintain balance.
At Steps
Stand sideways on a step, hold rail/wall for support.
Let one leg hang off the step. Keeping pelvis level and leg straight, try to lengthen right heel down towards bottom of pool. Repeat with left leg.
In same position-Gently swing leg back and forth keeping upper body still. Repeat with the other leg.
Standing facing the steps and place right foot on the bottom step.
Keeping the leg straight, place hands on thigh and slide hands towards lower leg far enough to feel the stretch in back of thigh (Hamstring Stretch)
Sitting on some woggles as if on swing: Only if confident in water.
Balance, sit up tall, trying to keep legs and arms still.
Balance -Bring arms across chest.
Then -Balance with eyes closed
Then Balance and raise alternate arms out of the water.
Finish with swim, if confident, make sure prepared to put head in the water to avoid strain on lower back.
OR
Walking as at beginning of exercise sheet.
See whole video here
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